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Braised Turkey in Green Mole
From: Saveur SERVES 8–10
¾ cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds
1½ tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
¾ tsp. dried Mexican oregano
6 cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems
15 tomatillos, husked, washed, and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 romaine lettuce leaves, roughly chopped
3 medium radishes, trimmed and tops reserved, radishes thinly sliced, for garnish
2 small serrano peppers, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup olive oil
3 cups chicken stock
1 (10-12–lb.) turkey, cut into 8 pieces
1. Heat pumpkin seeds, cumin seeds, and peppercorns in a 12” cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until seeds begin to pop, 1–2 minutes; let cool slightly. Place in a spice grinder and pulse until finely ground; add oregano and set seed mixture aside. Place cilantro, tomatillos, garlic, romaine, reserved radish tops, serrano peppers, onion, and salt in a food processor. Purée into a smooth paste; set aside.
2. Heat half the oil in a 12-qt. saucepan over high heat. Carefully pour in paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in stock and bring to a boil. Whisk in seed mixture and remove from heat; let cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer mole mixture to a blender and purée until smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on and discarding solids; set aside.
3. Heat oven to 350°. Season turkey pieces with salt and pepper. Wipe out saucepan and heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown turkey on all sides, 20–25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer turkey to a plate and set aside. Return mole to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add turkey pieces, skin side up, and partially cover with lid. Transfer to oven and bake until turkey is cooked through and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°, 1½–2 hours. Garnish with radish slices for serving, if you like.
